Completing a well frequently involves delivery of a liner string to be supported from an existing tubular. Typically, the liner string is delivered on a running string so that a liner hanger on the liner string is brought into position adjacent a lower end of an existing string in the borehole. The liner hanger is set and after it is determined that the liner string is supported the running tool is released from the liner. Cement can then be pumped through the liner through a cement shoe at the bottom of the liner with annulus fluids displaced upwards through gaps in the now set liner hanger. After the cementing is completed the liner top packer is set sealing the annulus between the liner and the existing tubular.
The setting of the liner hanger and subsequently the liner top packer has typically been done with pumping balls onto seats and building up pressure against a seated ball. This technique takes a long time and a faster way of actuating such tools sequentially is needed. Also, complications may arise from physically landing pumped balls onto seats or from pressuring up; thus a quicker and more reliable method of actuating such tools is needed.
The concept of setting liner hangers without balls or darts is shown in US 2014/0008083. Paragraph 48 of this reference also recites release of the setting tool using the acoustic signal technique. Various other references teach setting liner hangers with signals from the surface to the hanger or other tools such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,283; WO 2014184586 A2; U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,040 (electromagnetic); U.S. Pat. No. 8,286,717 and related U.S. Pat. No. 8,783,343; U.S. Pat. No. 9,004,195; U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,095 (acoustic) and U.S. Pat. No. 8,567,515 (column 13 line 45). U.S. Pat. No. 9,051,810 shows introducing the transmitter into the tubular to activate a valve to open. What is needed and provided by the present invention is a fast and reliable way to coordinate subterranean tool operation using flow based signals picked up by an acoustic receiver in a master controller that then wirelessly commands nearby slave controllers to actuate equipment and signal back that such equipment has been operated. The master controller can also include sensors for measuring well conditions and tool status and storing the information for downloading after the controller comes out of the hole. The measured information can also be used by the master controller to make autonomous decisions and initiate subsequent conditional actions by the slaves. These and other aspects of the present invention will be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the associated drawing while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be determined by the appended claims.